Artist Merav Tzur with “Grafted Arboreus sabius” photo/courtesy of merav tzur

Three local artists have won the Dorothy Saxe Award for Creativity in Contemporary Arts, an honor bestowed by the Contemporary Jewish Museum as a component of the exhibit “Do Not Destroy: Trees, Art, and Jewish Thought.”

A tea and awards ceremony honoring the winners will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday, May 11 at the San Francisco museum.

The first-place winner was Lisa Kokin for her piece “Fauxliage: No Birds Sing.” The second award went to Merav Tzur for “Grafted Arboreus sabius, or a failed attempt to propagate the Tree of Knowledge, 2011,” and the audience choice award went to Beth Grossman for “Yearnings.” Kokin also received an honorable mention audience choice award for “Fauxliage.”

“Fauxliage: No Birds Sing” photo/courtesy of the lisa kokin & seager gray galler

The artists will speak to the audience about their work at the ceremony, which is included with admission to the museum. “Do Not Destroy” is on display through Sept. 9 at the CJM, at 736 Mission St., S.F. For more information, visit www.thecjm.org.